A Tribute to My Father

Father’s Day is an inescapable part of American Culture.  It didn’t become a National Holiday until President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972 sixty years after the nation recognized Mother’s Day.  What drove this decision? Historians credit the long polarizing, divisive, Vietnam War Conflict as the reason for the holiday.  American men from all walks of life were uprooted from their families and sent to war, a sacrifice the federal government felt compelled to recognize.

My Dad was one  of those men.  A retired Command Master Sargent Major of the United States Army, he passed away nine years ago, the day after President Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African-American elected president of the United States.  He was eighty-eight years old at the time, three weeks shy of his eighty-ninth birthday.  My Dad had a long prosperous life, a three-war veteran and a career military man with a wife, five children and several grandchildren who loved him dearly.  It’s not a day goes by I don’t think about my Dad and his contribution to my life as well as to this country.

I was fortunate to have him in my life. He taught me a lot.  His lessons of integrity, morals, work ethic, self-discipline and personal responsibility stay with me to this day.  He was a great story teller and his off color, cynical humorous outlook on life would often leave those around him in hysterics.  I miss my Dad and when Father’s Day, his birthday and other holidays roll around, his loss is greatly felt.

For those of you fortunate enough to still have your Father, don’t just show appreciation for him tomorrow on Father’s Day, show it every day.  Remind him how much he is  love and needed in your life no matter how old you are.  Life is short and should not be taken for granted.  Neither should the love of your father’s.  Celebrate him every day.  I am glad I did and although, I miss my Dad deeply, my wonderful memories of him and the special relationship we had gets me through every single day.  Happy Father’s Day My Friends and Remember Why We Celebrate!!!